Both houses of the Vermont Legislature voted to override Governor Douglas’s veto of marriage equality legislation, making the Green Mountain State the first state to enact marriage equality for same-sex couples through the legislative process.

People For the American Way President Michael B. Keegan issued the following statement:

“Today should be a very proud day for all Vermonters. All people deserve to be treated equally under the law, and today’s vote was a very real step towards that goal. This is an extraordinary step for anyone who wants to strengthen the institution of marriage.

“Under this bill, and under all civil marriage decisions, individual churches, mosques and synagogues will always have the right to determine which marriages they bless. But when it comes to civil marriage, religious belief cannot trump the core constitutional principle of equality under the law. That’s the principle the Vermont legislature recognized today.

“I want to extend particular congratulations to one of the bill’s co-sponsors, Representative David Zuckerman, a member of People For the American Way Foundation’s Young Elected Officials Network. I know he put an enormous amount of effort and energy into making this legislation a reality. I want to thank him, and all the sponsors, for their hard work on this issue.”

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